I can't get my ATV to start. When I press the start button I get nothing. No fan running, no lights, no clicking noise. I checked the battery and it shows 12.3 volts. I tried jumping the relay and got nothing. I tried jumping from the battery to the starter and got nothing. I tried a new relay and it made no difference. Earlier today it started manually but now it won't do that either. The fuse on the relay is good.
Does anyone have a suggestion as to what to try next?
Thank you

 

How old is the battery? Plus you're just over 50% charged at 12.3 volts. Try charging it and see if it cranks. If not it could have a sulfated or open cell causing voltage to drop. Here's a good write up on batteries and load testing.

State of Charge Voltage

100% 12.7 - 13.2
75% 12.4
50% 12.2
25% 12.0
Discharged 0 - 11.9

"If your battery is reading 0 volts, chances are the battery experienced a short circuit. If the battery cannot reach higher than 10.5 volts when being charged, then the battery has a dead cell. If the battery is fully charged (according to the battery charger) but the voltage is 12.4 or less, the battery is sulfated. Sulfation is the natural byproduct when the battery discharges. Naturally, re-charging the battery will reverse the sulfation crystals and turn it back into electrolyte, ready to produce power again. But if a battery sat, uncharged, severely discharged, and/or drained for extended periods of time, the sulfation will increase in size and harden onto the plates. This covers the surface area of the plates, removing the chemicals needed to produce power. Sulfation decreases the potential to reach a full charge, and it self-discharges the battery quicker than normal. Charging a sulfated battery is like trying to wash your hands while wearing gloves. At this point, charging alone will not restore the battery to a healthy condition. The majority of replacement battery purchases occur when the original battery has reached this point.

3) Load Test the Battery

Your local automotive shop is more than able to load test your battery for you. But it's quite easy to do at home. All you need is a digital voltmeter. For any load test to be accurate, the battery must be fully charged. Let's use a motorcycle battery for an example. Remove the seat and expose the battery in your bike so that you have access to the terminals. Do not disconnect the battery because you will attempt to start the bike. Hold the prongs of your voltmeter to the correct terminals on the battery. Now push the starter button and watch what the voltage drops to. It doesn't matter if the bike starts or not, what you're looking for is a voltage reading.

DC VoltageA healthy 12 volt motorcycle battery should maintain a range from 9.5 - 10.5 volts under the load for a good 30 seconds straight. If the battery begins to hold and then steadily drops in voltage, there is a problem. If the voltage instantly drops to 0 volts, that is also a problem. We call this the open cell. On a new battery, this can be a result of manufacturing flaws, but it also may be caused by sulfate crystal buildup. Under the intense heat of the load, one or more of the weld pieces connecting the cells is coming loose and separating. This will cut the current, and voltage will drop. When the battery cools off, the pieces will touch, barely giving a complete connection. This gives you a false voltage reading. Batteries with open cells may read fully charged in idle, but they fail under a load test every time. Once a battery reaches this point, there is no going back. The best thing to do is recycle the thing."

 

Thanks for the quick response. I had the battery analyzed and it reads "open cell or sulfated battery". I ordered a new one. I'll let you know if that solves my starting problem.
I appreciate your help.

 

Most people think if a battery read 12+ volts it's fine,but more to it than that. Hopefully that solves the problem..